The Tenth Age
by SilmarilGirls
Summary: It's The Tenth Age, the wizard protecting middle earth was betrayed, and Thalia, Grace, and Lee get mixed up in the whole mess. In search of reviewers. PLEASE! Because of a glitch in the uploads, go to Ch.4 first (it happens to be the prologue)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1  
  
Lee's P.O.V. (again, things may get a bit out of order at this point; Thalia hasn't even typed up a rough draft for her chapter!)  
  
I landed inside a city, punching at the air. At the moment I was thinking only one thing; must kill Grace, painfully. When I took a look around me, I thought, 'O.K. this has got to be the capital of Rohan.' No, I was not in a good mood. I stalked over to the nearest guy. He was wearing armor and blushing. I muttered  
  
"I guess they haven't heard of leggings yet…" I then addressed him. "What age is this?"  
  
"The t-t-tenth." Of all days to wear the almost-too-small t-shirt with 'I love Boromir' written across the, ah, chest! At least I wasn't wearing Grace's pale pink shirt… I asked the guy,  
  
"Can you direct me to a seamstress?" He pointed up the street. I walked up the street and found the shop. I went in and found a woman sorting through assorted cloths and fabrics. I asked her, "Are you the seamstress?"  
  
"Aye, you look like you could use some help."  
  
"Well, yes. I need something so I can walk around the street without getting noticed." The seamstress looked puzzled.  
  
"A dress with split skirts."  
  
"You can't possibly wear split skirts!"  
  
"Fine, may I borrow some paper and a writing implement?" I was handed some paper and a stick of charcoal. I sketched an extremely loose shirt with a turtleneck, loose sleeves and tight cuffs, as well as a pair of loose, sexless, sexless pants with tight cuffs. The seamstress sighed.  
  
"Look, I'm paying for this! I'll also need a hooded cloak with lots of pockets on the inside and a hat."  
  
"What colors will you be wanting?"  
  
"Scarlet for the shirt and dark gray for everything else." It took a while, but in the end the clothes were finished. I thanked and paid the seamstress (maybe I won't kill you after all Grace). I walked out the back of the shop, tied my hair up under my hat and changed in the outhouse. (I tucked my old clothes into a pocket in the cloak.) The clothes were loose enough that I could now pass for a guy.  
  
Now all I needed were some weapons or something so that if I had to I could fight. I went out of the outhouse and up the street, looking for a blacksmith. He had set up his shop under a tent, with three or four tables showing his wares. (I'm not so sure that I am physically able to lift a broadsword, and a real male could, so I examined the dirks instead.) I looked at the dirks and eventually settled on one that was well but plainly made. I also bought four daggers. I tucked one into my belt (there was a tanners' shop next to the blacksmiths') along with my dirk, tucked two daggers into my boots and when nobody was looking, tucked the third into my bra. I made my way out from under the tent and started walking up the street. I wondered how Grace and Thalia were making out…Oops! Bad, bad choice of words!!! I wondered how Grace and Thalia were doing… 


	2. chap 2

I got a bad feeling in my gut as my laptop did it again. Yep, the freaky portal thingie had opened up again. I had been travelling in and out of alternate dimensions, until Thalia figured it out. Turns out I have a time/space portal in my computer that opens occasionally and reacts to whatever I type. Naturally, this happens at the worst possible times, and usually with friends. And whenever we got into trouble (which we always did) they blamed *me *! Like I planned it, or something! The nerve! And whenever I manage to go *without * them, they blame me for having a good time without them! Go figure. Anyway, here I was falling through the portal, and all of a sudden, I'm suspended about 3 feet in the air, above the water line.  
  
"Oh no!" I moaned, looking down at the water. If the computer worked properly, I should be somewhere near Legolas. But from the looks of things, I would rather be in bed, dreaming about being near Legolas.  
  
Then whatever had been holding me in the air gave way.  
  
"Aaaahhhhh!" I screamed as I fell toward the water. SPLASH! And I hit! 10 points for the painful belly flop. I spit out the water that got into my mouth and only succeeding in filling my mouth with more water.  
  
That's when I remembered that I couldn't swim.  
  
I kicked and squirmed in the water, trying to get above it. I ended up upside-down, trying to remember which way was up. As I struggled in the water, breathing in air as much as water, I saw images flash in front of my face. No, not my life, like some people say, but Lee and Thalia explaining my death to my parents. "Bad mental images...," I thought, my lungs burning.  
  
Blackness…pain…saltwater taste…damn, I can't breathe…voices…splashing…  
  
I felt a hand slide around my waist, and a voice saying, "Hold on!" I held on. Tight. I felt myself being pulled through the water and then felt wood pressing against my back. I was too concerned about breathing to notice the fact that I was being pulled up. I felt myself being laid on a deck, and I spent a couple of minutes coughing up water before I could look up.  
  
I looked around and noticed that I was on a ship. A ship full of elves. Ooh, *male* elves. Yummy. Then I noticed the fact that they were carefully avoiding looking at me. I glanced down. Oh, shit. I was wearing a white shirt, and guess what? A white bra. As if today couldn't get worse. Then I felt a soft cloak fall over my shoulders.  
  
A voice behind me said, "Take this, milady," I wrapped the cloak around me and turned around. My eyes widened. My lust object stood before me, in all perfection, water dripping from his perfect hair. I tried not to faint. Legolas had saved my life?! Can we say *Mary Sue *? Oh well, I'll be dreaming about the last couple of minutes for years to come. That is, if it doesn't get any better....  
  
"Come with me, lady-" Legolas waited for my name.  
  
"Grace," I said, nearly swooning at the sound of his perfect voice.  
  
"Lady Grace then, come,"  
  
"He said my NAME!" I thought excitedly as I followed him.  
  
He led me to a large, comfortable room at the bow of the ship. (I *do * know a *few * nautical terms. Like- three or four.) "This is my room," He said, grabbing some clothes for himself out of his closet. "You are free to use anything in it at your leisure. Please excuse us for anything improper, we were not... expecting... a lady."  
  
"S'ok," I managed to stammer, unable to believe my luck. Legolas left the room. I pulled off my wet and see-through clothes, and changed into some of Legolas's. I ran my hands over the cloth. Soft and silky, just like everything else about elves. I sank into the bed, breathing deep. This was a serious dream come true. I was on Legolas's ship, in his room, on his *bed * (So what if he's not sleeping in it? I would take what I could get!)  
  
"I wonder where Lee and Thalia are?" I muttered as I drifted off to dream of a certain elf.  
  
(A/N: Plz R&R? I know this story may not be a Tolkien, but I need some reveiws!) 


	3. the long awaited chapter three- as if we...

The room went black and suddenly I felt myself spinning through  a void- a not     altogether unfamiliar feeling of late, as the psychotic portal on Grace's computer seemed to be getting more and more out of whack. Not that I minded going in and getting' some Ranger, but it was starting to interfere with schoolwork…what with finals coming up and all.

            I fell through in to a sunlit field, in Middle Earth presumably- though it looked **very** different from when I had last visited. With a resounding thump I landed on my buttocks, which promptly went numb- not a good omen. Gingerly rubbing the wounded appendage, I stood up slowly, being careful not to jog it too badly. Then, I felt the point of a sword being pressed into my spine.

            I turned warily. Man…this was making out to be the worst trip yet. A very hot dude stood in front of me, pointing a sword at my throat. Damn! What a turn-on. If I wasn't killed, maybe it would turn out to be better than I'd thought…

"What are you doing here?" the hot dude asked.

"Uh…I…uh…erm…" years of fibbing about homework came into play as my fast-thinking reflexes saved the day once again. "I lost my way."

"Not many travelers go abroad in these dark days…there is a rumor of new shadow spreading in the East."

He was so sexy, I was having difficulty not jumping him on the spot. He reminded me powerfully of Aragorn, but different, in a hot way. His armor was different than that which I was accustomed to seeing in Middle-earth- even with this guy for eye candy, I was having serious doubts as to whether I'd landed in the right part of Middle-Earth, or the right time. A new shadow, he'd said…which would make this after the reign of Aragorn (dammit). Hmmm…

"I-uh…" he was looking at me with increasing suspicion. Shit! "My village. It was, uh, attacked. By orcs! And, uh, I survived. So I came here to seek shelter! Yeah. Shelter." I sighed in relief. I sincerely hoped that he'd swallow it, though my lying skills seemed to have been impaired by the interdimensional trip.

Luckily, I was saved by the blasting of trumpets from somewhere behind us. I looked past the hot dude for the first time, only to be nearly blinded by the sun glinting off a white city- my guess that I was in the future was confirmed by the fact that the original towers were surrounded by many, many more.

"Orcs! Orcs!" came the sound of a hundred voices. 

Oh…shit.


	4. Yes this is relevant people!!!!!!!!!!!!!...

Disclaimer:  Most Characters you recognize belong to Tolkien. The rest are ours.  We also own ourselves.  Barely! ;) A/N:  This story is going to be told from 3 POVs.  Mine (Lee's), Thalia's and Grace's (in that order.) 

**Prologue:**

Lee's POV:

A/N: You'll either like this poem or hate it.  If you like it review, if you don't don't.  _Constructive_ criticism is _always_ appreciated though!  This is my 1st colab.  Please be nice?

The Wizard Who Would Not Go 

When it was time

For the Istari to leave

Middle Earth

Rabna the Red

Would not go

Gandalf the White

Asked

Rabna the Red

"Why would he not go?"

Rabna the Red

Answered 

Gandalf the White

"I love Middle Earth

I love the people of Middle Earth

I will not go."

Gandalf the White

Asked

Rabna the Red

"If your powers were diminished 

Tenfold

Would you still not go?"

Rabna the Red

Answered

Gandalf the White

"If my powers were diminished

Twenty fold

I would still not go."

Gandalf the White

Asked 

Rabna the Red

"Is this decision

Made

Of your own free will?

Your own free choice?"

And

Rabna the Red

Answered 

Gandalf the White

"Yes."

Then 

Gandalf the White

Smiled

But

Sadness was in his gaze

Rabna the Red

Gave

Gandalf the White

His staff

His wizard's staff

Gandalf the White

Took

Rabna the Red's 

Staff

His wizard's staff

And 

Broke 

The staff

The wizard's staff

In two

And 

Gave the pieces of 

Rabna the Red's 

Staff

His wizard's staff

To Rabna

Then

Gandalf the White

Said 

To Rabna

Your staff

Your wizard's staff

Will be broken

And your powers diminish

Tenfold

And 

You will care for

Middle Earth

Until

The Istari

The Elves

And

Magic

Return to 

Middle Earth.

Then

Gandalf the White

Stepped

Onto his boat

And

Sailed away

And

Rabna 

Was left

Of his own free will

His own free choice

His powers diminished

Tenfold

Looking over the sea

His broken staff

His wizard's staff

In his hands

Rabna 

Looked west

Over the sea.

Dear Diary,

When it was time for me to leave middle earth for Valinor, I didn't want to go.  Gandalf the White, my brother (that's the closest term in Westron) asked me why I didn't want to go?   While I answered somewhat truthfully, the truth was that I was resentful that I hadn't been mentioned in history.  Those fireworks he was so famous for?  I invented them!  He may have improved on them, but the invention was mine!  I hope you can understand that all my life I was in Gandalf the White's shadow.  I wanted to be remembered for myself, not as "Mithrandir's little brother."  I suppose I was as "The Wizard Who Would Not Go."  (Who came up with that stupid poem anyways?  It makes me sound so…petty.)   At the time I thought that the loss of most of my powers would make up for being remembered in history.  I was wrong, it doesn't.  I have always been the least powerful Istari; the loss of 9/10ths of my powers makes me nearly powerless.   However I had spent a lot of time with the Rohirrim and therefore I boasted.  Yet even then, whenever Mithrandir visited, I was forgotten.  I am very grateful to my brother for not taking more of my powers.  Though that very gratitude choked me, once.  At the time I thought I had made my choice.  Yet even then, I nearly went across the sea, to Valinor.  However, when my brother looked at me with pity, pity!  I understood why I had to stay.  Not to earn a place in history, but to learn who I was, out of my brother's shadow and protectiveness.  To gain some self respect for myself.  I could withstand hatred, contempt (and I had both I assure you) but it was pity that made me ashamed of myself.  Therefore, by handing my staff to my brother, he was forced to break it.  Although the taking of my powers burned and for a moment almost killed me, I can now respect myself.  I am content to be a friend to Dwarves and Men and Hobbits.  To be caretaker of middle earth, this land I loved too much to leave.  To pass into the works of legend.  

Rabna, formerly Red, 

Now Scarlet.

            (5th age) Rabna Scarlet was visiting the Dwarves again, having, amazingly luckily, been able to prevent the discovery of gunpowder.  The Dwarves invited him to celebrate the making of a drink, which they claimed was better, then the Elven wines had been.  (You know Dwarves.)  They called the drink 'brandy.'  Rabna took a goblet and sniffed experimentally.  It was very strong.   A Dwarvess (female Dwarf) was explaining how the Dwarves had made it.   Her name was Nalin.  They'd known each other for years.  Both were equally conscious of the other's unmarried state.  Nalin, because…well, we won't go into that, Rabna because of all the glares from her father, brothers, cousins, friends and miscellaneous Dwarves.  Rabna was very glad that he specialized in fire and couldn't be thrown out of the caves.  (Fire doesn't require much power, just control.  Rabna also specialized in naming, but we don't need to get into that yet.)  In the meantime though, he decided to try the brandy.  In due course, he was sozzled and Nalin was thoroughly brandied.  Nalin, not being quite so drunk, showed him where there was a couch and…I don't need to tell you the details though, you can probably guess.  Rabna woke up in the morning with middle earth's worst hangover (not surprising) and about 30-45 dwarves standing guard over him (again not surprising).  

"Rabna!!!"  A dwarf bellowed.  Rabna winced at the volume and winced again when he saw that the dwarf was Dwalin.

            "Of all the Dwarves daughters' in middle earth…" He muttered under his breath.  Dwalin's, and hence Nalin's was one of the more numerous and definitely wealthier Dwarven clans.  Nalin walked over to Dwalin.  Rabna noted, ruefully that _she'd_ found time to put on a robe.  

"Father, what do you want with Rabna?"

            "Well, I'd like to make an eunuch out of him."  Rabna winced, Nalin glared at her father.  "But since neither you nor he seem to appreciate the idea, I'll marry you two off."  Nalin beamed, Rabna shuddered.  Marriage?!  For him?!  He'd been a bachelor since just about forever!  "On second though, this may work out after all."

            "Please, not so…loud."  The next four weeks went by too slowly for Nalin, and too quickly for Rabna.  Finally, the wedding day dawned.  Rabna was contemplating suicide when two of Nalin's big brothers walked in.

            "Why are you in here?"

            "Father asked us to make sure that you didn't run away before the ceremony.  We're two out of his sixth sons, but Nalin is his only daughter.  Not to mention the youngest."  Rabna gulped and was frog marched to the altar.  He didn't remember the ceremony at all; he remembered the night though, vividly…

            It was after the ceremony and Rabna and Nalin were curled up on the bed.  (No.  They didn't do it yet.)  They started talking about the night of their engagement.  Rabna started talking.  "…And the worst part is, I don't even remember what happened after the first few drinks!"  Nalin giggled. "What?"  

            "That's because, nothing happened."  Rabna raised his eyebrows.  "You just undressed, kissed me twice and fell on the bed."

"Then I don't have to get married after all!"  Predictably, Nalin slugged him.  "Ow!"  Rabna would have a very colorful bruise over his right eye in the morning.

            "You utter nincompoop!"  Nalin started crying.  "I wanted to marry you because I love you, you dolt!  But you don't love me!"

            "Oh, Nalin, please don't cry.  I do love you (A/N: * sniff *) but, I've been a bachelor since practically forever.  I'm about 4 or 5 ages older then you.  I do love you though."  Nalin looked up at him.

"You, * sniff * mean that?"

"Yes."  Nalin and Rabna hugged, kissed and didn't wake up the next morning until noon.  Their marriage went on through the next 3 ages…

Dear Diary,                                                                                                                              (beginning of the 8th age)

Nalin is dead.  Although I have been expecting it for quite some time because, even for a Dwarf she was old.  I am deeply saddened.  I know that it sounds stupid, but it's true.  We had one child, however she disappeared at the age of five.  I have never ceased to search for her.  I am shortening my name to Rab Scarle.  Man is regressing to what they were before the fellowship.  I am unable to tell if I am joyful or saddened by this news.  

            Rab Scarle

Dear Diary,                                                                                                                  (end of the 8th age)

I have a pupil!  He shows a surprising aptitude for the magic.  I have named him Annakal.  For he was a shining gift to me, and anna is elvish for gift as kal is elvish for shining.  As a young child of nine he was left on my doorstep.  While rather ugly, his mind shines so bright that at times I am dazzled.  I was correct to name him as I did.  My elvish name is Caradtempla (red mage)

            Rab Scarle

Dear Diary,                                                                                                                              (middle of the 9th age)

Barad-dur, Mordor has been rebuilt!  The Orcs are massing once again!  This time, though, I am responsible.  I deserved Gandalf the White's pity.  I have created a new evil.  And I have only myself to blame.  I thought that Annakal could resist the lure of the palantiri.  I trusted him with the keys to nearly all the artifacts that I owned (that were left from the third age) long ago.  Yet, he gazed into the palantiri that Sauron had corrupted.  Perhaps he believed that he would be strong enough to overcome their lure.  Yet it was not so.  Now, he is even more twisted then Morgoth was.  Like Morgoth, he has created his own fell creatures.  He created six in all.  If any should chance to ever read my diary, I will list them here.  There are the Dorwing (dark foam) they have the forms of immense eels and a long poisonous fin upon their backs.  Dorwing travel 5 to a pack.  They patrol the coast, ever watchful for the return of the elves…  Next the Sarnrog (little demons) were created.  They look like bats, and their bite spreads a disease that can also travel from person to person.  Third were the Seregturi (blood masters) they have the form of giant lizards that walk on two feet (read Deionychus) with immense claws on their "hands" (I use the word contemptuously) and "feet."  Next are the Carad Amarth (red dooms) they have triangular shaped heads, with horns.  They have a body that seems formed of fire (they really were copied off of the balrogs) Almost last are the Delrochi (horror horses) they look like a hideous and misshapen cross between a lizard and horse.  Last, but first in horror are the gorhothi (horror host).  They look like nothing more then small black lizards.  If they bite you, you will not only be dead within the week, but in your moment of dying, thousands of little black lizards will pour forth from any openings in your body. (Mouth, ears…)  I should never have taught him the arts of the Istari.  Now he may even be a match for the Valar themselves…  I have renamed Annakal, Durdelanna- elvish for a dark and horrible gift.  In our magical battle, Durdelanna bested me contemptuously.  I now have not enough magic left to kindle a candle.   All I have left is my ability at names.  I knew he was descended from an orc and humans.  He was old enough to remember his heritage, yet young enough to appear innocent.  Why did I ever take him in?

Rab Scarle

            I walked over to Grace's house.  Damn!  It was starting to rain!  O.K., Grace only lives about a block away from me, but I _hate_ getting wet unless I'm swimming.  It started pouring, I started to run.  I ran up the driveway and in the door.  Grace and Thalia were already there.   "This has got to be the fastest I've ever gotten here."  Grace spoke.

            "Come on and sit down Lee!  If we're actually going to colab, you have to be in front of the computer screen too."

            "O.K."  I pulled up a chair to a side of the computer.   Thalia was in front of the keyboard as the official typist.  She was drooling over a picture of Aragorn that had come with Grace's FotR soundtrack.

            "Grace, Lee, dudettes, are you ready?"

            "Yeah."

            "Umm-hmm."  I answered.  Thalia started typing.  First she typed in the story of Rabna the Red (see above), and then we decided to include ourselves.  

            "Dudettes, where do you want to end up?"   Thalia asked as she typed in **Thalia: Minas Tirith**.  I grinned at that.  Thalia's 'thing' for Aragorn is well and widely known.  I have a 'thing' for Faramir myself.   Grace asked Thalia to 

            "Put me near Legolas!"  **Grace: Near Legolas**.  I asked Thalia to put me in the capital of Rohan.  **Lee: Capital of Rohan.  **The screen went funny.  Thalia realized it first.

            "Sh**!  Dude, your computer pulled us into a portal!"  Thalia and I shared a glance, and then jumped Grace.  I was about to punch Grace when…


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Anyone or anything you recognize is Tolkien's the rest is Thalia's, Grace's and mine.  
  
A/N: Come on people, review! We're stuck reviewing ourselves here, and there is just something wrong with that. So please fix it!  
  
  
  
A man looking amazingly like Faramir galloped up on a really gorgeous red horse. I'm no judge of horses but even I could see that the stallion was exceptional. The man on the other hand looked completely done in.  
  
"Orcs!" He shouted, "orcs! I've ridden all the way from Minas Tirith to warn Rohan of the orcs about to attack!" Then the man noticed me. It wasn't hard. I was the shortest person there (I'm only about 5 feet) and not wearing armor or carrying a large weapon (read broadsword).  
  
"Lad, why aren't you wearing armor?"  
  
"Sir, if I knew whom I was addressing, I might be able to answer that question a bit better." One of the men on the street looked as though he was about to faint. The guy who looked like Faramir looked shocked but gave me an answer.  
  
"I am the heir of the line of the stewards of Gondor, Farathir."  
  
"Sire, the reason I don't have any armor on is because I am a stranger here, however, my dirk is yours." Farathir looked astonished for a moment then frowned.  
  
"What is your name lad?"  
  
"Lee." (Well it sounded somewhat masculine.)  
  
"You have an…odd name Lee."  
  
"True." Farathir asked the guy who had looked as though he was about to faint,  
  
"Eomund, where is Theomer?"  
  
"He is trying to tame his new mare, he did say that in the event that you arrived while he was occupied, you were to be given reasonable authority."  
  
"Ah…thank you." I could see Farathir adding up 2 and 2. Unfortunately, it was the wrong 2 and 2. He gestured to Eomund.  
  
"Eomund, please take Lee, remove his dirk and dagger and search him for additional weapons. Also, detain him in one of the cells until I decide whether or not to accept his fealty. His offering fealty to me sounds particularly suspicious, coming as it does on the heels of the orc invasion." If you are wondering my hormones were ringing large brass gongs and right now, a flying tackle seems to actually make sense.  
  
Eomund led me off to the castle. As we were going through the city square we passed a pedestal with the horn of Denethor lying broken on top of it. Once we were in the castle, I was led past several rooms including the armory. After about half an hour of walking, Eomund and I reached the dungeon. Eomund removed the dirk and dagger that were hanging on my waist. As he searched me for more weapons, Eomund discovered rather quickly that I was a girl. It was a good thing that he didn't find the atlas. He blushed amazingly red (I wonder how far down it goes, since all the Rohirrim are fair haired, a blush should extend well past the collar…) and stammered,  
  
"W-wait here l-l-lady. I n-n-need to get F-F-F-Farathir." Eomund ducked out and returned 10 minutes later with Farathir who looked definitely annoyed.  
  
"Lee you obviously can not be placed where I originally thought you might."  
  
"O.K."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Never mind."  
  
"???"  
  
"Just forget it."  
  
"Forget what?"  
  
"Sire, then please place me where you wish." (Hey, love, or at least a major lust, makes everyone act like idiots.) Farathir told Eomund to  
  
"Please put Lee in one of the moderately appointed women's suites." Eomund led me away to another room. I didn't get my dirk and dagger back though. I was left alone in the room. I tried to open the door, it was locked. I looked around the room. There was a chair, a table, a bed and a wardrobe. I began making plans… 


End file.
